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Apotheosis (VTM)
The concept of Apotheosis is that of becoming a divine entity. As the first vampires wielded power beyond anything their modern descendants could begin to comprehend, many of them were already revered as gods by mortal nations (like the Setite Antediluvian), while some pursued goals that could also be interpreted as means to reach godhood (like the Tzimisce Antediluvian). Cappadocius, the founder of the Cappadocian Clan, however, was known for his adherence to a warped version of monotheism and, around the time of the Feast of Folly, experienced a vision that made him believe that he had to achieve godhood. Nearly all attempts of reaching Apotheosis based upon Cappadocius' line involved the elimination of the Shroud, hinting at the far-reaching manipulation of an Archmage with a similar goal. Attempts of Apotheosis Cappadocius The Second Revelation of Cappadocius was a vision of himself on the Cross, mirroring the crucification of Christ and his eventual ascension to Heaven. Cappadocius believed that he had to become God in order to sustain humanity in the face of an ever-growing vampire population. To reach this goal, Cappadocius and his closest childer studied mortal religions until the Clan Founder became convinced that, if he used a ritual that would involve his own sacrifice, he could diablerize God Himself. With this power, he would bring Heaven – the afterlife – on Earth by eliminating the boundaries between life and death itself. All creatures would lead perfect, unchanging lifes without pain or need under his benevolent rule. Cappadocius' efforts became more and more erratic after he witnessed the betrayal of Augustus Giovanni in a vision, believing that the Necromancer would fulfill his role by slaying his corporal form, allowing his soul to consume God. When Augustus eventually acted on his desire in 1444, Cappadocius awaited the deed, offering little resistance. Both of them failed in their aspirations: Augustus could not diablerize the full essence of Cappadocius' soul, making him not into a full member of the Third Generation, and Cappadocius found that he did not reach Heaven, instead emerging as a wraith in the Shadowlands. He watched the ages pass and his Clan die, powerless to act, until the Fifth Maelstrom sucked him into the Labyrinth, which he left in 1998 as a Spectre. Lazarus The rebellious progeny of Cappadocius, the methuselah Lazarus, intended to reach Apotheosis himself. He searched for a book known as the Sargon Codex, which should include the ritual needed to reach godhood. When he had finally compelled the Codex, his plan was thwarted by Constancia, with the aid of the Setite Ankhesenaten and the necromancer Markus Musa Giovanni, along with the interference from the insane Byzantine refugee Alexia Theusa. Lazarus known goal was to rework the curse of Caine, making it more like the Spell of Life that empowered the Amenti of Egypt. While the Sargon Codex is destroyed, fragments of it survive. The Sargon Fragment, as well as the Anexhexeton, are searched for by Ambrogino Giovanni, who intends to reach divinity by himself, separate from the ideal that the Clan holds. The Giovanni The Giovanni believe that, with enough wraith servants, they will conduct the Rite of the Endless Night, which will tear down the Shroud between the afterlife and the mortal world. The necromancers believe that this will grant them control over the world and every soul within it, ceasing the differences between vampires and humans and freeing them of the lures of the Beast. Others, like the Capuchin, state that the Endless Night will be the "heat-death of the universe". What Augustus believes or knows is uncertain, but with the setback suffered in the Sixth Great Maelstrom, he has renewed his commitment to reaching Apotheosis while undergoing studies at the ruined city of Kaymakli to locate the last piece of Cappadocius' essence, the True Vessel. References * * * * Category:Cappadocian Category:Giovanni Category:Vampire: The Masquerade glossary Category:Vampire: The Dark Ages glossary